I Am Batman Ends

I was genuinely surprised to learn that I Am Batman#18 was the last issue of this series.  

I just don't keep up with the comic book news like I used to. It seems this series has fallen prey to the semi-regular deck clearing of another DC publishing initiative, the Dawn of DC.

I Am Batman told the story of Jace Fox, scion of Lucius Fox who has taken up the mantle of the Bat in New York City.  

Moving Jace to New York City was an inspired move that allowed writer John Ridley to forge his own unique identity as Batman.  

Having a black man be Batman in a real city led this series to cross paths with real world upheavals such as police brutality, the Black Lives Matter movement and lives subsumed by fear, hatred and paranoia.   

 While I Am Batman had to deal with a revolving coterie of artists, most of the art was provided by Christian Duce who had a dynamic style for action and a dark brooding atmospheric flair for the shadows Batman operates in.  Duce's artwork was fantastic and if Jace Fox doesn't return anytime soon, I wouldn't mind seeing Christian Duce take on the mothership title of Bruce Wayne's Batman.  

The driving heart of  I Am Batman was Jace Fox's relationship with his family which took a major hit in the last issue when Jace learned the woman he thought was his mother, Tanya Fox, is in not his real mother.  Lucius had an affair with a woman named Aoki who became pregnant but was unable to care for the child so in a major act of forgiveness and foregoing the desire to kick Lucius to death in his balls, Tanya agreed to bring little baby Jace into their home to raise as her own child.   

Lucius' secret dalliance is uncovered and some bad guys looking to put the hurt on the Fox family kidnaps Aoki. Jace has to Batman up and save a woman he never heard of before who turns out to be his real mother and yeah, it's a lot. 

Remarkably, Jace manages to hold his shit together, rescue his mom, make peace with a family he doesn't quite understand and embrace his role as NYC's Batman.

Hell, Jace has his own "Robin" now in the form of his sister Tiffany who is not lacking in her own kick ass moves.   

The issue ends on a hopeful note, as Jace and Tiffany suit up and ride out into the night, doing their best to make the city a safer place.  

Reading the adventures of someone other than Bruce Wayne being Batman is not new. The stories of Dick Grayson as Batman were some of my favorite tales of the Caped Crusader.  The less said about Commissioner Gordon's turn as Batman, the better.  

But Jace Fox offered a totally new take on what it means to be Batman, a new and fresh perspective on what achieving justice actually means. 

Whatever is coming with this whole "Dawn Of DC" thing, I sincerely hope we have not seen the last of Jace Fox as the Batman.  

Next week is more comic book stuff as I look at a new Superman series from DC.   

Tomorrow, I'm taking a day off from the blog.

Unless Donald Trump is arrested.